REPORT: Fighting Exploitation in Budapest

Speaking at the World Congress of Families to a packed standing-room-only crowd

I just returned from a week in Budapest, Hungary where I got to speak at three different events about the harms of pornography and its connection to other forms of sexual exploitation.

It was quite a moving experience! Some of you know that my journey in fighting sexual exploitation actually began because of the year and a half I spent living abroad in Hungary. Quite a few experiences there set me on this crusade, having no idea where it would lead. It has been an incredible journey, with quite a lot of ups and downs, since I decided that I wanted to stand up for the dignity of all women, children, and men. Returning back to Hungary, with the opportunity to address members of their government and other community leaders was such a blessing and something I never imagined would be possible.

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Here’s a little story about one of my experiences in Hungary back in 2008.

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Speaking & Connecting with Leaders

I was able to go to Hungary because of the 11th Annual World Congress on Families which was hosted in Budapest this year. I am grateful that the leaders of that event recognize the threat of pornography to the family and that they arranged for a couple of talks on the subject. I was even happier as I listened to talks on other subjects and heard the speakers also discuss the harms of pornography, including calling it a public health crisis! (We have been tirelessly trying to spread that message these past few years and it’s exciting to see it catching on across the world!)

The talk I gave at this Congress was well-attended. I was even more motivated as I noticed the passion and urgency swelling among the crowd of listeners. After my remarks, I was able to talk with dozens of other leaders who want to address these issues more in their countries. We were even invited to speak in Croatia later this fall! Oh, it was incredible brainstorming and strategizing together with all of these good people. I can’t wait to see how the dominos fall in the coming years as this movement swells and unites.

In addition to the talk I gave at the Congress, I was able to meet incredible people! I sat down with a minister in the Hungarian government to discuss the research and harms to adolescents and then to discuss potential solutions they could employ. I got to meet with dear friends from South Africa who are seeing success after success there as they combat pornography and sexual exploitation. They are even organizing a CESE Summit (like ours) for the African Continent later this August! I met with leaders from many African countries, including government leaders, who sought out our input on how to make improvements in their areas of the world. One of the best moments was when I sat down for lunch and happened to sit next to two female members of Parliament from the country of Serbia. They seem like incredible leaders (and moms of big families at the same time!) and I was in awe of them, but when they found out what our organization does, they were just as happy to be connected to us. They said they’d been searching and praying for someone to help them prepare youth in their country for the onslaught of pornography coming their way. There were many other connections made, too.

I also got to speak to leaders from the LDS Church in other events about how to help those struggling with pornography, their spouses, and the youth in their congregations.

Play Time!

Thankfully, I had time to play tourist and to meet with old friends.

Look at how this movement is growing! Many around the world are stepping up and taking action!

Thank you for your support in all of its forms! I hope you’re encouraged to keep pushing forward together with us!

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Here’s a Facebook Live message from Hungary on the last day of my trip:

Dawn Hawkins is a passionate abolitionist and defender of human rights who has dedicated her life to fighting against societal harms that threaten the dignity of others. Her energy, creativity and mobilization skills have revived the anti-pornography movement and her intentional emphasis on the intersectionality of forms of sexual exploitation has proven a unique and effective strategy for curbing them.

As Sr. Vice President and Executive Director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), Mrs. Hawkins has developed a global strategy uniting more than 300 women’s rights, conservative, child advocacy, medical professionals, law enforcement, and religious groups, including a bipartisan political leadership, to work together in raising awareness of the connections between all forms of sexual exploitation. Her initiatives have lead to sweeping policy changes of policies that foster exploitation for targets such as Google, Hilton Worldwide, Comcast, Walmart, and the Department of Defense. Through her leadership, NCOSE has grown a network reaching hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. Mrs. Hawkins has appeared on many local and national television programs, including Fox & Friends, CNN and Good Morning America. She regularly authors articles and speaks around the country addressing the public health harms of pornography, curbing demand for sex trafficking, protecting children and families in our digital world, and more.

Dawn regularly volunteers for organizations devoted to helping children and refugees. She is a graduate of Tufts University and currently resides with her husband and three children in Virginia.